sugar-loaf
Definition
- Noun:
- A "sugar-loaf" is a solid, cone-shaped block of refined sugar, traditionally produced and sold before the widespread use of granulated sugar. It was typically wrapped in paper or cloth and had a pointed top and a broad base.
- By extension, "sugar-loaf" can also refer to anything shaped like such a cone, such as a hat, a mountain, or a loaf of bread.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- In the 19th century, a sugar-loaf was a common household item, broken into pieces with special sugar nippers. (A cone-shaped block of sugar used for sweetening.)
- The mountain rose from the plain like a giant sugar-loaf, its peak covered in snow. (A cone-shaped mountain resembling a sugar-loaf.)
Advanced Usage
"sugar-loaf hat": a tall, conical hat resembling the shape of a sugar-loaf, often worn historically or as part of a costume.
- The wizard wore a sugar-loaf hat decorated with stars and moons. (A conical hat shaped like a sugar-loaf.)
"sugar-loaf bread": a type of bread baked in a tall, conical mould, resulting in a loaf that tapers at the top.
- The bakery sells a traditional sugar-loaf bread, perfect for slicing. (A cone-shaped loaf of bread.)
Variants and Related Words
Sugar-loafed (adj): having the shape of a sugar-loaf.
- The sugar-loafed hills dotted the landscape. (Hills shaped like sugar-loaves.)
Sugar-loafing (n): the process of forming sugar into cones.
- Sugar-loafing was a skilled trade in the colonial era. (The craft of making sugar-loaves.)
Synonyms
- Cone: a solid geometric shape that tapers from a circular base to a point.
- Loaf: a shaped mass of baked food, though not necessarily cone-shaped.
Related Idioms
"to break a sugar-loaf": to break off pieces from a solid sugar cone for use.
- The cook had to break a sugar-loaf to sweeten the tea. (To separate a portion from the cone.)
"like a sugar-loaf": resembling a cone in shape, often used to describe mountains, hats, or other objects.
- The volcano stood like a sugar-loaf against the sky. (Having a cone-like appearance.)